This new poster has emerged online for DreamWorks Animation’s ’Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.’ Currently pencilled in for a June 8th release in the US, and October 19th release in the UK, the animated action/adventure threequel features the voice cast of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter.

In ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,’ Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style. The film is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and produced by Mireille Soria (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and Mark Swift (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa).  It is being written by Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Greenberg).

Two of the world’s top secret agents (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) are best friends who never let anything come between them – until they inadvertently fall for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). It’s all-out war, as the two spies battle each other with high-tech surveillance, advanced tactics, and an arsenal capable of bringing down a small country. Directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation), ‘This Means War’ co-stars Chelsea Handler, Til Schweiger, Laura Vandervoort, Leela Savasta, Angela Bassett, and Abigail Spencer. The film is set for release Febuary 17th in the US, and March 2nd in the UK.

‘This Means War’ plays with the special agent/spy archetypes. What do you think is so appealing about that world?

McG: In the film we were going for the archetype of the classic British special agent, naturally James Bond comes to mind. Then the classic American agent, the Ethan Hunt archetype comes to mind with what Tom Cruise has done in the Mission Impossible movies. We were having fun with that, with what Tom Hardy brings, with what Chris Pine brings. We wanted them to be very proficient in the world of agenting and their skill sets – the use of firearms, fighting, and everything they do. But then when it becomes to affairs of the heart, they’re just like everybody else.

What I think is sexy about that world is that it’s life or death, it’s international, and it’s the antithesis of what most people experience day to day in “cubicle” life. I think we all want to travel around the world, go to exotic locations, cheat death, play around with fancy toys, fire guns, chase women, and be reminded of our mortality on a regular basis. It’s a fun aspirational life that we all sort of aspire and dream about.

What was it like working with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in this love triangle?

Reese Witherspoon: Both guys were so much fun. Tom Hardy, who plays Tuck, he is just this amazing actor who has just exploded onto the movie scene. Everybody’s so excited about Tom because he has such incredible energy, he has a mind that just goes a 100mph. He’s also just the most sweetest, loving guy in real life. He was perfect casting for Tuck because Tuck is obviously very physically strong, like Tom is. But he also has such a soft heart.

Chris Pane, playing FDR, he’s just fantastic for that character because he’s very composed and put together, very fast talking and quick witted….and so is his character. FDR is always talking himself and Tuck out of situations, he’s sort of the brains behind their operation. He really is just a perfect match for that character They’re both so funny too, they’re very different people, and very different characters. It was nice to see them have such a great friendship on screen and off screen.

The chemistry between the three leads is great, with the back on forth between Tuck and FDR. Chris Pine goes full-on rogue mode….

McG: Oh yeah. When it came to Chris Pine’s character, you needed a rogue, and I wanted someone who was lovable even in the face of supreme self-confidence. To me the greatest example of that is Han Solo. That sort of thing where you think he’s so self-confident he’s borderline cocky, but you absolutely love him. He’s such a swashbuckling charismatic guy that I love his self-assuredness. I want to hate him for it, but I’d be damned if I’m not attracted to him. I think Chris Pine really has a way of doing that, where you can’t help but love what he’s bringing. Even though, by his own admission, he does everything in a sort of decidedly self-assured way. The ability to do it with such self-assuredness, but still be charming, that’s a real gift, most people can’t do it. Chris Pine, he’s a young actor who has that rare skill set.

Then you have Tom Hardy as Tuck….

McG: Tom Hardy is incredible, he’s extraordinarily good looking, he’s very very tough – he’s a phenomenal fighter, an MMA fighter. He has that rough and tumble Paul Newman/Steve McQueen thing that he brings. Also, his style of speaking, his accent, his command of language, the way he views the world. Where else are you going to find someone who’s that funny, that talented of an actor, that intense, that tough. He just hits all those beats that are required of the character. He was the only choice for Tuck.

What was it about Reese Witherspoon that you thought would be a great fit for Lauren?

McG: Reese is perfect for this role. She’s unbelievably talented, she’s smart, she’s engaging, she’s funny, she’s appealing to the Reese Witherspoon army of female fans (laughs). And hopefully in this movie we’ve expanded her fan base into the male audience, who can think, “Wow, she’s really a sexy, powerful, capable woman, that’s appealable to men and to women.”

Chelsea Handler plays your best friend in ‘This Means War.’ How was she to work with?

Reese Witherspoon: There’s very few women who are as funny as Chelsea, we’re so lucky to have her in the film. She’s just one of those woman that all girls I know, who have read her book and watched her television show, they completely relate to her and think she’s so funny. She talks the way girls talk (laughs).

How was it for you getting involved in all the action? I read that your first scene filming with Tom Hardy involved you shooting him with a paintball?

Reese Witherspoon: (Laughs) It was, it was a good ice breaker! It was really a first for me with ‘This Means War,’ I’ve never really been in an action film. They’ve got all kinds of crazy sequences; car chases, shoot outs, people jumping off of buildings. It was really fun making it, the boys had a great time shooting it, shooting guns, getting to do all kinds of crazy action – and they were good at it too! McG is so great, we had a lot of fun. He has endless enthusiasm, which rubs off on us all.

Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze in ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.’ In this gritty new vision for the character, directed by Neveldine/Taylor (Crank), Johnny is still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – but he may risk everything as he teams up with the leader of a group of rebel monks (Idris Elba) to save a young boy from the devil… and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ opens February 17th.

Your character, Moreau, he’s an alcoholic warrior monk, that must be interesting to play?

Idris Elba: (Laughs) I had a lot of fun playing Moreau. He’s a monk, a very religious man….actually, he’s a monk, but I wouldn’t call him a very religious man – he‘s got a lot of vices. He’s a monk that has sort of gone on his own path. He’s a lone ranger type character. He’s travelled a bunch. He drinks a lot of wine and rides a lot of motorcycles (laughs). He may have his vices but I would say he’s a righteous man. When you meet Moreau he’s in the midst of a journey, if you like. He’s searching for Nadya and Danny. And he has been for a while, not with much luck – which is why he ends up finding the Ghost Rider, Nicolas Cage’s character. He gets him to get on board with his journey.

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the two directors, I keep hearing stories about their unique way of filming?

Idris Elba: Trust me, they’re great guys. What they do is they operate this whole film. They have the camera on their shoulders and they do what I call moving postcards. The whole time they’re shifting this postcard around, and at the same time they’re paying attention to detail, performance, the background. They’re really fully on fellas (laughs). These dudes go for it. When I saw Mark break out the rollerblades….and I’m on a motorcycle, I’m on a motorway in Romania, and I can hardly ride because I just learnt, and he’s on the back of my motorcycle with his camera and his rollerblades (laughs). I’m like, “This dude is nuts. But hey, lets go for it.” They’re just a very courageous set of filmmakers. You feel like they’re having fun, but you also feel like they really REALLY know what they want. Mark and Bryan, they’re not the type of directors that just sit behind a monitor and wave, they really get into the mix of things. They’re ridiculously talented guys.

How did you find doing a lot of your own stunts?

Idris Elba: The stunt team were very open to me doing as much as I could. They were just clear with me, “Idris, you move a certain way, you do things a certain way, we want to see you do it.” So I was like, “Cool, I’ll give it a shot.” There’s a scene where I literally jump over two flights of steps, they slung a wire on me and I did it myself. I was a little nervous, I’m not going to lie (laughs), but at the end of the day I think it helps the film. It was a unique approach, “ISN’T THIS DANGEROUS?” I kept wanting to ask (laughs). The answer would be, “Yeah it’s dangerous, but lets just do another take?” Riding up and down on motorcycles and jumping over stuff, it’s all a part of the DNA of this film. They wanted the cameras really close so that the audience get the feeling that that character is really doing it, not suddenly cutting to a stunt man. We really did a lot of that work.

I remember you telling me you fell off a motorcycle when you were younger….

Idris Elba: Yeah, it was when I was 19. I fell off a motorcycle and never wanted to get onto one again until this film. But Brian Taylor was like, “No man, I want you to do the stunts.“ I was like, “What did the insurance company say?” And he said, “I don’t know, but you’re doing your stunts.” (Laughs) I love bikes, but I had been nervous about getting on one. It was good fun though.

Entertainment Weekly has unveiled this first look at Sharlto Copley (The A-Team, District 9) in Sebastian Cordero’s (Pescador, Cronicas) adventure sci-fi flick ‘The Europa Report.’ Alongside Copley, ‘The Europa Report’ stars Michael Nyqvist, Anamaria Marinca, Christian Camargo, Daniel Wu and Karolina Wydra. The film is scheduled for release later this year.

‘The Europa Report’ follows the story of a six-person team of astronauts from various international space stations who are sent by a private sector corporation to be the first manned mission to Jupiter’s fourth moon in search of extraterrestrial life. The only thing more intimidating and unpredictable than the trip itself is what the team will encounter upon arrival…

From the creators of ‘Despicable Me’ and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,’ an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Danny DeVito lends his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted’s dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma. ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax ‘ is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop). The film is set for release March 2nd in the US and July 27th in the UK.

What is your own personal background with the work of Dr. Seuss?

Zac Efron: I was raised on Dr. Seuss, my parents read his books to me. I’m pretty sure I learnt how to read via his pros. I got interested in art very young as well, I was definitely inspired by his drawings and artwork. He was definitely a figure in my childhood, an important figure. And The Lorax in particular, I clearly remember being read that book by my parents, I vividly remember flipping through the pages.

Having that connection to the story and Dr. Seuss, what was it like being offered this part and undertaking this role?

Zac Efron: It was one that really meant something to me. It wasn’t just a made up character, this is a book I had a personal connection to. It just felt right, sometimes the universe does those things, sends something back your way (laughs). This film really felt like that for me. I felt very lucky to be a part of this film. In the movie, Ted’s young, he’s spontaneous – I know what it’s like to be a kind of young, ambitious, crazy kid. It was definitely fun to go back there and re-live those moments through Ted. It was fun. There is definitely something for everybody in this movie. I actually can’t wait for people to see these characters brought to life. This once in a life time epic journey to save the planet, it’s a fun journey.

The way Ted has Audrey, did you have a sort of infatuation when you were really young?

Zac Efron: Yeah, I sort of did (laughs). It was my first babysitter, her name was Brooke – she might read this, “Hi Brooke!” I had a huge crush on her but she was a lot older than me. I done all kinds of crazy stuff to try to impress her. I’ve totally been there (laughs), I could relate to Ted on that one.

The visuals are stunning and so detailed. What was it like for you seeing the final product for the first time?

Zac Efron: That was amazing. Dr. Seuss’ world is so whimsical, I was amazed how well the movie captured that. Everything from the trees, the forest, the animals, all the different technology you see – it was all so Dr Seuss, there’s no other way to put it. It’s a beautiful film to look at. The message as well, The Lorax was a book that when I read it at a young age, it planted that first seed of the environmentalist in me. The Lorax’s message about the environment, it’s one of the reasons I feel the way I do today. Another thing to take away from this movie is that it can take one person to change the world, even as a kid you can feel powerless, but all it takes is a little bit of hard work and you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish – I really liked that. That’s what Dr. Seuss was trying to teach us all as kids and now we’re spreading the word.

Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), it seems the sky’s the limit – major movie stardom awaits. ’The Artist’ tells the story of their interlinked destinies. Directed and written by Michel Hazanavicius, the film also stars John Goodman, James Cromwell, Missi Pyle and Penelope Ann Miller. Receiving 10 nominations overall, ‘The Artist’ is nominated in all major categories at this years Academy Awards: best picture, original screenplay, best director, leading actor and supporting actress.

What was it about this format of silent film that interested you?

Michel Hazanavicius: I had the desire because I felt that it would be a good movie to do in Hollywood, that format, silent film, to do it now in this day and age. There are people who do silent movies, there’s a director in Canada named Guy Maddin, he does some silent movies, which are very experimental. I wanted to do a mainstream movie, a popular movie with a very accessible story, something that would be very entertaining. It’s a simple story. It’s the story of a silent movie actor in Hollywood in the late 20s, he’s a huge star, but here comes the talkies, so he falls. At the same time, in the beginning, a young lady who’s an extra in movies, she rises up and becomes a huge star in the talkies. The movie is really about the way they meet. It’s a love story, it’s about opportunities. I thought this format would be a great way to tell it, a very joyous way to tell it.

Was silent film something you latched onto growing up?

Michel Hazanavicius: When I was a kid I used to go with my brother and grandfather. My grandfather brought us to a theatre in Paris. It was a theatre that specialised in silent movies, so we saw a lot of the shorts from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, all these short slapstick movies. I was a huge fan of Buster Keaton, that is my first memory of silent movies. Also, ‘The Kid’ by Charlie Chaplin, I was so impressed by that movie. I cried, I laughed and I thought it was wonderful (laughs). As a kid I used to love movies, I was not a specialist of silent movies, I used to love spaghetti westerns, so many different types. I really appreciated the good silent movies, there’s a lot of bad silent movies, but the good ones are really incredible.

You collaborated with Jean Dujardin again on ‘The Artist.’ When you were writing the script did you always have him in mind to play George?

Michel Hazanavicius: Yes, it’s my third collaboration with him. I wrote the script with Jean and Bérénice Bejo in mind. I really wanted to see him in that kind of role, in this kind of movie with the situations that happen in it. He’s a very expressive actor, and the kind of actors I tried to cast in the movie were expressive actors. You have a lot of huge actors who are very stone faced, it’s perfect, but it’s not that kind of acting I needed for ‘The Artist,’ it’s a lot more expressive. Jean is very much that, he’s very comfortable with his body, his body language. He has something very rare, in that he’s as good in the close-up as he is in the wide-shot. He can show feelings in the close-up and it’s accurate, it’s not too much. Then he can do the same thing with his body in a wide-shot.

Working with Bérénice Bejo, who’s also your wife, I’d imagine she was there when you first immersed yourself in this project?

Michel Hazanavicius: Oh yes. I wrote something for her that I knew would be for her. She really inspired me for the role. I live with her, so I know her well – I hope (laughs)! She really started to work very soon in the process, at the beginning of the writing. She came with me to all the screenings I went to, all the silent movies. As soon as I finished a book about that era, autobiographies, things like that, she grabbed them and read them also. She listened to the same music I listened to for it, look through all the photo books I looked through. She really went into the emersion process with me. She knows a lot about silent movies now. She did the same thing I tried to do when I was writing the screenplay, in trying to find the American spirit of the story – because it takes place in Hollywood. I really wanted to respect the way to shoot it, but also the way to think about it. She really tried to be an American actress for ‘The Artist,’ which is not the same codes of acting. There’s a different way to move, and she really worked on that. She did such a great job, she’s very gifted….but she is my wife, so I’m not the most impartial person to speak about her, I‘m not neutral (laughs).

This poster, promoting the Tim Burton Expo at La Cinematheque Francaise, has provided us with a new look at Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins in Burton’s forthcoming ‘Dark Shadows.’ The poster is one in a series promoting the event. Barnabas Collins was an 18th century gentleman, a businessman just before the Revolutionary War, who was transformed against his will into a vampire and buried in a tomb for two centuries. After he finally emerges, uncovered by construction workers in the year 1972, he seeks out his descendants — as well as some long-ago foes and a possible lost love. Alongside Johnny Depp, ’Dark Shadows’ stars Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz and Gulliver McGrath.  The film opens in cinemas May 11th – look out for a trailer soon. Source: Bleedingcool.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

This new clip has emerged online from David Wain‘s upcoming comedy ‘Wanderlust.’ Featuring a first-rate cast in Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Ray Liotta, Lauren Ambrose, Kathryn Hahn, and Alan Alda, the story follows a couple (Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston) rattled by sudden unemployment. They are forced to move out of their New York household when the husband loses his job. With no other options, they set out to Georgia where they plan to live with family, but along the way end up staying in a nudist commune which they mistook for a bed and breakfast. David Wain co-wrote the script with his writing partner Ken Marino, the pair previously brought the world ‘Role Models,’ and ‘Wet Hot American Summer,’ two movies I’m a huge fan of. ‘Wanderlust’ is set for release February 24th in the US, and March 2nd in the UK.

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?

Lionsgate has just sent me over this new UK poster for Lasse Hallström’s (Chocolat, The Cider House Rules) charming and witty adap­tation of Paul Torday’s bestselling novel, ’Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.’ Starring the likes of Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked and Kristin Scott Thomas, ’Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’ is released in cinemas March 9th in the US, and April 20th in the UK.

’Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’ stars Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones, a fisheries expert and academic who works for the British government.  When he’s approached by Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) with a plan to introduce salmon into the waterways of Yemen for the purpose of sport fishing, he laughs off the scheme, claim­ing it impossible.  Harriet acts as the British representative of an amiable and benevolent sheikh (Amr Waked), who fulfils his love of fishing on frequent trips to his estate in the ruggedly gorgeous Scottish highlands.

While Fred ponders the idea, the pro­posal catches the ear of the British prime minister’s spokesperson, Bridget Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas. Desperate to detract attention from some unwanted publicity, Bridget sees Harriet’s idea as the perfect opportunity to promote what will appear to be a heart­felt story of British goodwill in the Middle East. Despite Fred’s protests, he soon finds himself working on a project that seems not only frivolous but absolutely unfeasible in the arid land of Yemen.  His scepticism is matched only by the sheikh’s boundless optimism.  As the mission begins to suc­ceed, Fred grows closer to Harriet.  Despite the many obstacles that stand in the way of their romance, their relationship affords an unexpected and welcome sense of hope for two lonely individuals.

Collider has unveiled this extended (clocking in over 13 minutes) behind-the-scenes featurette for Sony Pictures barmy looking action adventure film ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.’ It has been several years since making a deal with the Devil and Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), living in self-imposed isolation, finds himself as the only person who can help save 10-year-old Danny – and ultimately the world – thanks to his unwanted and uncontrollable power – his ability to transform into the hell-on-wheels monster known as The Ghost Rider. Directed by Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine (Crank, Gamer), ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ opens February 17th. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, Ciarán Hinds, and Violante Placido. Check out my interview with Nicolas Cage and Idris Elba for the film here.

Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in Columbia Pictures’ and Hyde Park Entertainment’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. In the successor to the worldwide hit Ghost Rider, Johnny – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Screenplay by Scott M. Gimple & Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer. Story by David S. Goyer. Based on the Marvel Comic. Produced by Steven Paul, Ashok Amritraj, Michael De Luca, Avi Arad, and Ari Arad